Longtime ESPN NFL reporter John Clayton has died at age 67

John Clayton, some of the distinguished nationwide NFL reporters who labored at ESPN for over 20 years, died on Friday. He was 67.

“His spouse Pat and sister Amy have been at his aspect and communicated earlier he handed peacefully after a short sickness,” his longtime ESPN colleague Chris Mortensen tweeted. “We beloved John. We’re mourning his loss. Pat has requested the Seahawks to launch additional data.”

Clayton started his profession on the Pittsburgh Press masking the Steelers, earlier than shifting to Seattle to cowl the Seahawks for the Tacoma Information Tribune within the mid 1980’s. He reached ESPN in 1995, and lined soccer in print, TV and radio till 2017.

“I’m heartbroken,” NFL analyst and former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury mentioned. “John was household to me. Now we have been associates since 1986. He has been a weekly visitor on my radio present for years. Now we have remained shut since our Tv days. We talked recurrently.

“I’ve typically mentioned John could be the man who would cease every part he was doing to ensure anybody would have every part they wanted. He was an exceptional tv good friend and a loyal life good friend to me. A particular man. I’ll miss him deeply. Our friendship was particular.”

A few of Clayton’s most memorable segments on ESPN tv have been his common debates with former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury. That they had entertaining chemistry within the nerd vs. jock style.

Clayton additionally appeared in what’s arguably the best “That is SportsCenter” industrial of all-time, transitioning from commonplace soccer reporter to long-haired metalhead straight away as his consummate professionalism was praised.

Clayton continued to cowl the Seahawks for ESPN Radio’s Seattle affiliate after departing the Mothership. He was publishing tales as just lately as final week.